Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-01-05
A RAILROAD HORROR.
Railroad Near Tiffin. Ohio-Seventeen
Persons Killed.
TIFFIs, o Jan. 4.

Persons Killed.
TIFFIN, o Jan. 4.
| A fast passenger train on the Baltimore &
| Ohio railroad at an early hour this morning
coliided with an east bound freight traI
near Tiffin, Ohio, wrecking b 9TH trains.
| Nineteen bodies have been taken from the
wreck More are injured. Three COACHES
were destroyed. Physicians have gone to
the scene. The weather is very cold and the
thermometer registered two below zero
| Another despatch says that the train left
New York at O'Clock yesterday for Chica-
60 with FIVE coaches and four sleepers. all
we'll filled with passengers. About o'c.ock
this morning the train was about fifty mir
utes late and was running at the rate of 60
miles an hour. A mile west Of Republic on
a curve. the engineer suddenly saw . freight
train under tuli headway within hundred
yards of him. He at once applied the brake.
and reversed the engine but it did no good
and the next instant the crash came, tele-
scoping one coach and pilng them upon
escn other.
To add to the CONSERVATION fire broke out
il the smoking car and soon spread to the
other cars MANY were killed outright
while others, wedged in among broken cars,
were slowly consumed by the flames.
| TIE screams of the wounded and d, ing
were heartrending. but no assistance could
| be given until a farmer, awakened by the
crash, arrived with other neighbors, who
worked like heroe. to save the p rismrg
! At noon l3 dead bodies had b-tn remov ii
and they lie burned and di.tigured in the
slow beside the track. Help was sent from
Republic and Tiffn as soon as the news was
| received. Ii was a fearful sight and recall.
| the Ashlabuia horror of the winter of 1877.
| 1t is impossible to give the names of the
killed or wounded at this time. The cause
OF the sastar . unknown.
| The express does not make stop at the
town Of Republics village of 900 Inhabitants
nine miles west of here, and it is supposed
it was running at a rate Of 60 miles an honr
The freight eastward bound had expected to
make siding at Republic and was probably
making not less than 20 miles an hour The
telescope of the trains was as clean Gu.
AS ever has been witnessed in this section OF
of the country. The engines were run into
each other as one stove pipe fits into another
and all that could be seen was one chaotv
mass of brass, iron and steel. Among those
who were saved from the wreck remaining in
| Republic, was a mother with three lItte
ones hardly out OF swaddling clothes, Gus-
| band and father with two sons having been
burned in the wreck. In some wav, that
even this mother was unable to rela,e,
she got out OF the car in which she had been
travelling and wandering away from the
burning train, carrying the two youngest
children in her arms, entered the first
house in which she found light, rs she was
almost crazed. The family were on their
way to Missouri. Her husband. VIM. Post
lelhwalte, was 5S years old and the sons
killed with him. Is and IL years.
70 s.ftb b. palt IA
to take care of the mother and children by
sending them to Chicago Junction, where the
company have hotel. On advice, howev r,
of her friends who were autographed, she
consented to remnin in Republic until she
| should hear from her son who remained in
| West Virgiuia. Postelhwaite had on his
| person $500 in money, draft for $500 a
government check for SlS and note OF $3.50,
besides tickets and money for immediate use.
All were burned There was no wav for re-
lief TO reach the wrecked train sooner than it
did. The ground was covered with snow.
The collision occurred one mile from town
and half a mile from any dwelling and the
hour was A. M.
1t ls related that one BARLEY, prominent
Knight of Labor, from Washington, ID. G.,
who, while the flames were bursting rom
the car windows, which had been broken in
I
his watch and pocket book 10 those whom he
could see outside. He was pnned down and
was being roasted alive, but those who saw
| HIM and heard his trenzied cries were unable
| to render relief. The charred remains of
| the express messenger consisted Of the two
thigh bones which were found 10 the debris
of the car. The engineer and fireman of the
freight reversed their engine and Jumped
The engineer of the express reversed his en-
| gine and sprang to the lett. The frem IN
endeavored t. get out TO the right but fell
| close to his crushed engine and was badly
| burned, but not beyond recognition. His
body has been placed in neat casket and is
now at the undertaker's at Republic awaiting
tue arrival of his relatives. There has been
steady stream of citizens from all paris of
the country to the wreck. 1t was reported
that Congressman Seney, who has been at
home for few days. was on the wreck I'd
train. but such was not the case. The jud ge
did not leave town until this morning nd is
| safe.
TOLEDO JAN.
The total number of passengers on the
wrecked Baltimore Ohio train was 65.
Ten dead bodies have been taken out and
| three more are believed to be in the ruins.
The names OF the dead az far as identified
are as follows: +. e. BARLEY of Washing
ton; VIM Frederick. Washington, fireman
of the express; Joseph O.tsrnan and two
sons OF Martinsburg, w. Va; Mrs. Ostar-
man and two children were saved
The smoker was entirely consumed and all
the passengers in it were killed. The mail
and express matter were destroyed.
CINCINNATI, O, Jan. 4
The Commercial Gazette gives II as the
number killed in the Republic disaster, and
savs out of Is passengers in the smoker